President Barack Obama's
budget proposal for 2010 would spend $1 billion to endow a new federal
fund meant to expand housing opportunities to low-income borrowers.

The Housing Trust Fund was conceived by Rep. Barney Frank, chairman
of the House Financial Services Committee, and was supposed to be
funded by a tax on mortgage-finance agencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

That assessment has been frozen since the companies were
nationalized in September and the budget plan would restore that
missing funding.